Display rack



Oct. 26, 1954 M. D. WYNNE, SR

DISPLAY RACK Filed Dec. 1, 1951 QQQQ E R mm mw mR E Z 0 D N A G R O M govwnrf ATTO RNEY Patented Oct. 26, 1954 UNITED STATS TENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a display rack, and more particularly to a display rack having an upright standard with horizontal arms swingably mounted thereon for supporting rings, watches, bracelets and other items of jewelry as Well as various other articles of merchandise.

An object of my invention is to provide a unit for displaying merchandise in show windows and other desirable places in a manner to utilize space which is normally unused, which requires a minimum of fioor space, and which will display merchandise within the best eye appeal range without interfering appreciably with or obstructing the view of other usual displays.

Another object of my invention is to provide a display rack in which the arrangement of the supporting structures is variable and adjustable throughout a wide range of adaptations.

Another object of my invention is to provide a display rack which is attractive in appearance, inexpensive to manufacture, efiicient in operation and is easy to use and adjust.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a display rack embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing one of the supporting brackets.

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing one of the attaching brackets.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a detail illustrating the manner of attachment of one of the horizontal display bars.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a detail showing the upper end of my device.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a horizontal display bar especially adapted for displaying rings.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a modified form of horizontal display bar.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a detail showing the lower end of my device.

In the embodiment of my invention chosen for purpose of illustration, a base member H! is arranged to be fastened to the floor of a show window or other suitable supporting surface H by screws or other suitable attaching means, as best seen in Fig. 8. The base member IE] is internally threaded to receive an upright supporting member I2 which extends upwardly from the base for a considerable distance for the reception of a plurality of cylindrical collars [3 which are stacked one upon the other on the upright supporting member I2 in a manner to be independently rotatable thereon. At its upper end, the upright supporting member [2 is threaded to receive an internally threade fastening member M which is screwed onto the threaded upper end of the supporting member l2 so as to retain the collars l3 in place; and, in order to provide a pleasing and finished appearance, a top cap I5 is fitted over the fastening member i l so as to rest upon the uppermost collar l3.

Certain of the collars [3 are provided on the vertical face thereof with a supporting plate [6. Each supporting plate It is provided near its upper end with a keyhole slot [1 which passes through the plate, and the collar is cut away behind the keyhole slot for the reception of an attaching screw, to be hereinafter described. Also, each supporting plate I6 is provided near its lower end with a plurality of indentations 13, one of the indentations I 8 being positioned directly below the keyhole slot I1, and certain other indentations It being arcuately displaced, as shown in Fig. 2, for the angular adjustment of horizontal display bars, as will be hereinafter described.

Horizontal display bars I9, l9 are removably attached to the collars l3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, each horizontal display bar being provided on one end with an attaching plate 20 which is bored and threaded at one end for the reception of an attaching screw 2|, and similarly bored and threaded near the other end for the reception of an angular adjusting screw 22.

With the above described arrangement, the horizontal display bars are quickly and easily attached to the upright supporting structure by merely inserting the head of the attaching screw 2| through the large opening in the keyhole slot I 7, and then lowering the bar so that the head of the attaching screw is caught and held in the narrow lower portion of the keyhole slot. In this position, the angular adjusting screw 22 will be brought in to register with one of the indentations l8, and the angle which the horizontal display bar makes with the vertical can be easily adjusted by simply swinging it about the attaching screw 2| to bring the adjusting screw 22 in to registry with the desired one of the indentations [8. Also, it will be apparent that the position of the horizontal display bar can be easily adjusted so that it lies along the true horizontal, even though the vertical supporting structure may be slightly out of line, simply by screwing the attaching screw 2| in or out, or by screwing the adjusting screw 22 in or out, or by proper adjustment of both of these screws to affect the proper horizontal alignment of the display bar. It will also be obvious that the horizontal display bars can be inverted so that the attaching screw 2| and the angular adjusting screw 22 exchange places, and they are thus used interchangeably in their above described functions; moreover, by this interchangeability, the horizontal display bars can be made to face the front of the display window when swung either from the left-hand side or the right-hand side of the upright supporting structure.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings I have illustrated a form of horizontal display bar especially arranged for the display of finger rings. In this form, two complementary semi-elliptical members 23, 23 are fitted together in a manner to form a display bar substantially elliptical in cross-section with the ellipse split along its minor axis. At their meeting edges, the semi-elliptical members 23, 23' are cut away, as shown in Fig. 6 for the reception of resilient material 2 which extends throughout the length of the bar and forms a resilient slot to receive and hold finger rings and the like. The members 23, 23' are each covered with a lush fabric 25, such as velvet or the like, and the members are held together by means of screws 26 or other suitable fastening means, the screw 26 being counter-sunk into the member 23 and threadably engaged in the member 23 so that by adjusting the screw 26 the pressure applied between the pieces of resilient material 24 can be adjusted so as to properly accommodate rings of different sizes or constructions. On the side of the members 23, 23 opposite the slot provided between the pieces of resilient material 24, a back-plate 2'! is fastened so that cards bearing prices or other indications can be stuck between the back-plate 21 and the horizontal display bar, and the back-plate will afford a support or backing for this material.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modified form of horizontal display bar which is particularly suitable for displaying wrist watches, bracelets and the like, the bracelet or the wrist watch being slipped over the bar which is elliptical in shape and displays the article much as it would be displayed upon the human wrist. In this modification, my horizontal display bar comprises two complementary, semi-elliptical members 28, 28' which are fitted together to form a horizontal display bar substantially elliptical in cross-section with the ellipse split along its major axis. Each of the complementary members 28, 28 is covered with a lush fabric 29 which may be the same as the velvet covering 25 in the embodiment shown in Fig. 6. The two complementary members 28, 28 are held together by screws or other fastening means 30.

Retaining bands 3| are placed over the screws at each end of my horizontal display bars so as to give a neat, finished appearance. Instead of horizontal display bars, such as 19 and I9, or in addition thereto, I may use a tray 32 of a length substantially equal to the length of the horizontal display arms and attached to the upright supporting structure in a similar manner, or I may use a tray 33 which is concentrically supported. about the upright member [2 between adjacent collars [3.

It will be obvious that my invention provides a needed article of great convenience and usefulness, and that while I have illustrated and de- 4 scribed my invention in a very practical embodiment thereof, various changes, adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a display rack comprising a base, an upright supporting member carried by said base, a plurality of cylindrical collars stacked one upon the other on said supporting member, said cylindrical collars being independently rotatable upon said upright supporting member, and a fastening member on the upper end of said upright supporting member to hold said collars on said member, the improvement wherein certain of said collars are provided with supporting plates, each of said supporting plates being provided with a keyhole slot for reception of an attaching screw, each of said supporting plates being also provided with a plurality of indentations below said keyhole slot, a plurality of horizontal display members supported by said upright supporting member, certain of said horizontal display members being provided with an attaching plate for the reception of an attaching screw and an adjusting screw, an attaching screw on each said attaching plate engaged in a keyhole slot in one of said supporting plates, and an adjusting screw on each said attaching plate engaged in one of said indentations.

2. In a display rack comprising a base, an upright supporting member carried by said base, a plurality of cylindrical collars stacked one upon the other on said supporting members, said cylindrical collars being independently rotatable upon said upright supporting member, and a fastening member on the upper end of said upright supporting member to hold said collars on said member, the improvement wherein certain of said collars are provided with supporting plates, each of said supporting plates being provided with a keyhole slot for reception of an attaching screw, each of said supporting plates being also provided with a plurality of indentations below said keyhole slot, one of said indentations being directly beneath said keyhole slot and certain other of said indentations being arcuately displaced, a plurality of horizontal display members supported by said upright supporting member, certain of said horizontal display members being provided with an attaching plate for the reception of an attaching screw and an adjusting screw, an attaching screw on each said attaching plate engaged in a keyhole slot in one of said supporting plates, and an adjusting screw on each said attaching plate engaged in one of said indentations.

3. In a display rack comprising a base, an upright supporting member carried by said base, a plurality of cylindrical collars stacked one upon the other on said supporting member, said cylindrical collars being independently rotatable upon said upright supporting member, and a fastening member on the upper end of said upright supporting member to hold said collars on said member, the improvement wherein certain of said collars are provided on a face thereof with supporting plates, each of said supporting plates being provided with a keyhole slot for reception of an attaching screw, each of said supporting plates being also provided with a plurality of indentations below said keyhole slot, one of said indentations bein directly beneath said keyhole slot and certain other of said indentations being arcuately displcaed, a plurality of horizontal display members supported by said upright supporting member, certain of said horizontal display members being provided with an attaching plate which is bored and threaded at one end for the reception of an attaching screw and similarly bored and threaded at the other end for reception of an adjusting screw, an attaching screw on each said attaching plate engaged in a keyhole slot in one of said supporting plates, and an adjusting screw on each said attaching plate engaged in one of said indentations.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number 6 Name Date Ross Nov. 12, 1872 Frey Mar. 30, 1880 Starr May 15, 1883 Ross Apr. 17, 1906 Kuen Apr. 20, 1926 Jones Sept. 7, 1926 Cox Apr. 26, 1927 Comstock Dec. 8, 1936 Lipp Sept. 6, 1938 Cooper May 9, 1939 Fluharty June 20, 1950 

